I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly, my Lord was speaking:
"My name is I am." He paused.
I waited. He continued,
"When you live in the past
with its mistakes and regrets,
it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I was.
When you live in the future,
with all it’s problems and fears,
it’s hard. I am not there.
My name is not I will be.
When you live in this moment
it is not hard. I am here
my name is I am."
Helen Mallicoat
I happened to see this poster during the period of time that I was attending twelve step meetings. It caught my eye and I bought it and framed it. I don’t remember to apply it all the time, but I try
"I was regretting the past and fearing the future."
I’ve been doing that for fifty one years! I have to learn that life’s lessons are just that, lessons, and they are meant to be learned. Living in the past can do no good. The present is what we need to concentrate on. And since I believe that, the words drew me to them, and I bought the poster. I try to break it up and analyze it, but I wish I was gifted enough to be able to figure it out without having to do it that way. Okay, so, we’re going to stop regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly, my Lord was speaking:
"My name is I am." He paused.
I waited. He continued,
"When you live in the past
with its mistakes and regrets,
it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I was.
Well, this makes sense, and I have too many mistakes and regrets to want to relive or think about or suffer for, actually. The past is always over. You can’t stop a child from falling off his high chair, after he’s on the floor. He fell in the past, it’s over. And if we want guidance and inspiration, we will not live in the past.
When you live in the future,
with all it’s problems and fears,
it’s hard. I am not there.
My name is not I will be.
It doesn’t even make sense to worry about tomorrow, or the next day, or next, because they’re either going to come, or not. Nothing we can do can stop it. We worry about money and food and health and kids and homes and cars and pets and family, but does it help or change anything? We can’t worry about the future when we haven’t even gone through the present or the past. The future should just remain blank space that we’ll pass through when it’s time. It’s always a surprise, things come at us from left and right, and we never saw it coming. The future has to become the present, the future will happen all on it’s own. Every minute away from this one is the future.
When you live in this moment
it is not hard. I am here
my name is I am."
This line gave me chills. My Higher Power is going to be here for me to guide me and lead me down the right path. It doesn’t matter if I call him I am, Higher Power, Lord, Buddha, they all lead to one God or Mary or Sam. Everyone has the right to worship whomever they please, but It appears light is common to all. And I don’t think the Light is worried about what people call him.
We need to remember that in times of good or bad, our Light is within us. If we do for some odd reason, actually remember that when we’re going through a rough time, it will help the pain. It may not take it completely away, but it will lift it. I need to train myself to be more "awake" and more aware that there are spirits and the light that are helping me through each day, as hard as some are, they’re still helping me in some way, and I know this, I just forget to let it help me.
All of the exposure of positive, spiritual, calm and serene information has helped me to go on a journey, finding all these things out along the way. If I could remember the "I am part", I’d do a lot better.
I had to take the poster down to type from it, maybe I’ll put it back somewhere where I can see it and be reminded every day that the Light shines on, even when we don’t.
